Reviews by SaucyA:

It's a VERY dark amber brown, with a heavy white head that retains throughout the entire glass. Only during the last few sips did the head even think about dissapating.

It smells wonderful, like Unibroue yeast, alcohol, caramel malts, and a major fruity overtone.

It's an absolutely superb taste that can't be beaten. Warm, malty, sweet, fruity, chocolatey, alcohol, yeast, light hops... I can't even begin to describe all the tastes happening with every sip. It's a fantastic beer that must be experienced.

It's medium body with heavy carbonation... which helps to hide the high abv. I seriously have a hard time believing it's so strong.

I would no doubt revisit this offering from Unibroue. It just can't be beat. It goes down easy, and is just... amazing.

More User Reviews:

L: murky plum topped by huge head of tan foam, very Belgian abbey ale look with foam nearly pouring out of bottle and that dark brown-amber color that's nearly purple; 100% opaque; head is slightly sticky; keeps a full skin and almost half-a-finger-tall collar; clearing up a bit on the edges and at the bottom; not much lacing but still classic all around

S: dusty yeast, dark dried fruits, dates, raisin bread, raisins; as it warms takes on a much "lighter" overall presence, toasted apricots, toasted apricot or peach kolache, powdered sugar, and all of that mixing with the darker dates/raisins notes

T: dark ... raisins, nearly bitter earth or burnt malt, but with plenty of that evening-out sweetness of plum and brewer's candi sugar; the earthy aftertaste lingers; that earthy flavor, both up front and in the aftertaste, has a hop spiciness to it, like potent Old World hops ... not sure if it is, in fact, hops, but if not it's doing a good imitation

F: super-charged carbonation and light-midweight liquid creates that fluffy abbey ale mouth that's too good to be true; it's still percolating as you drink it, yet it's not stinging or harsh

O: a truly "dark" ale leaning more on the raisin/licorice side of the quad/Belgian dark spectrum with only hints of the plum/dates lighter side; normally my preference is for those lighter notes, but this darker dark is too good to pick any nits ... a wonderful beer all around with that Belgian yeast popping and giving it all the life you expect from a well-made abbey ale; best of all: it comes in 4-packs! this beer might go on full-time rotation in my fridge

Smell  Typical aroma for the style. The dark fruits come out at first, followed closely by the big, dark, bready yeast scents. This is a beautiful fragrance.

Taste  The yeast comes out even bigger here. It is a wonderful flavor, and complimented well by the fruits from the smell. Prunes, raisins, plums, and overly-ripe apricots meld with some banana and tobacco for an excellent flavor.

Behind this comes the yeasty bread. If youve ever made fresh bread and taken a taste of the yeast and sugar mix before all the flour is added, this is it. A baker would appreciate this flavor. It is absolutely phenomenal.

Mouthfeel  I like the big carbonation of this brew, but it may be just a tad off style. But, in the end, this feels great.

Drinkability  The big carbonation slows one down a bit, but this is a work of art.

Comments - Its hard to overachieve in this category, but Unibroue has once again come up with a winner.

Update  I reviewed this initially with a 2003 and thought it would be interesting to review a 2004 vintage. This beer just blows me away. I cant believe that its not brewed in Belgium. I just love so many things about it, but that dark yeast flavor just puts me in heaven. I juggled some ratings around to include upping the Drinkability to a perfect 5.0.

Pours a very dark, murky, swampy brown color, completely opaque. Some very minor hints of ruby can be seen when held up to direct lighting. A very fine-bubbled, beige head forms with decent retention, though lacing is minimal at best. One whiff of this stuff and it's very clear that it's a Belgian style ale. Belgian yeast abound, hints of dark, fruity esters, light banana, spices, clove, plums, and mild phenol. The aroma isn't nearly as strong, sweet, or abundant as many other BSDAs, which is somewhat of a let down. Naturally, things get a little better as it warms up, but I was still expecting a bigger punch out of this one.

The taste matches the nose quite well - earthy esters, dirty, slightly musky hop bitterness, sweet prunes and dates, spicy yeast, clove, pumpernickel and rye toast, light caramel-like malts, very faint molasses and sugar. Some grape skin flavors are there as well, which mesh with the alcohol character to produce a wine-like sweetness that comes out at the end. Nice mix of yeasty-fruity with spicy-earthy; there isn't one flavor that severly overpowers any other, so if there's one thing this BSDA does extremely well - it's balance. Much like the aroma, I would've like the flavor to be a bit bigger and bolder. The body was even a little thinner than I would expect for this still, medium at best, with a high amount of carbonation. The aftertastes dies down with some spice grape and apple skin esters erring on the earthy side of things, maybe with a touch of clove and spice.

Maybe I was being a little too critical because I had such high hopes for this beer after many recommendations from friends and such high ratings on this sight. Don't get me wrong, this beer is damn good, balanced excellently, and certainly unique. But it doesn't quite hit "blow-me-away" status. Something I definitely wouldn't turn down if offered, and certainly not bad at only 8$ for a bomber.

This bottle has been sitting in my beer fridge for about 3 years at 45-50F.

Murky, caramel brown with a decent inital foam head that rises to the top of the tulip glass -- yeast dregs spin darker colours into the head.

Medicinal, grassy, just a touch, with liquor soaked sweet cherries, hint of chocoloate.

Bone dry, soft mealy mouthfeel. Alcohol is high, but very hidden, very spooky, lending a nice spicy character to the flavour and blending with a chocolate malt flavour (brownie-like). Soft cherry flavours. Sweet caramel, bready flavour holds things up. Hops are grassy, but not overpowering. Alcohol comes back for a second haunt, this time warming the gullet and head. Mineral towards the finish with dry baked chocolate residuals, some spice and faded esters.

I have found my god. It's lives in all bottles of Trois Pistoles -- 3 year old bottles, but godly nonetheless.

Presentation: 12oz brown twist with a bottled on date on the back label.

Appearance: Tawny amber brown with a thin tan lace that does not subside.

Smell: Grassy with a barn yard / horse blanket and a mild tartness in the aroma.

Taste: Crisp carbonation with a chewy malt palate that has toasted and chocolate undertones. Very rich and spicy with hints of black pepper. Alcohol is quite evident allowing some sweetness to the taste buds and also lending a hand to the spicy flavours. The rest of the palate is on the dry side with an underlying grainy, herbal and earthy taste throughout.

Notes: Another spectacular brew from one of the best breweries from Canada. Big enough to pair up with the most robust meals or just to sip the cold winter months away. Packed with complex flavours and deviously drinkable at 9% abv.

I've seen this beer everywhere. Always ignored it. Then saw my buddy check it in on another app. Said how much he loved it. Well, I can be a follower. Poured into a Westy XII goblet. Nice dark color. Minor fiz. Smell is dark fruit. Flavor is nice fig/plum. Really delicious. Sometimes, you gotta just pull what's on the shelf. There's a reason beers like this are everywhere...cuz they're awesome! Will be doing this more often

Bottle into a New Belgium snifter. Pours a light-medium brown and settles as a dark, burnt cherry color in the glass. About 2 fingers of head initially, bright and bubbly on composition; this receded down to a dense lacing after a couple minutes. On the nose, red & white grapes, sourdough, figs, smoked leather, oak, dark fruit, and sweet fruit (mango/apricot). Sweet, crunchy, dried dark fruit on the taste initially, accompanied by light notes of leather, chocolate, oak, organic spice, and bready, toasted malt. Quite complex, and very enjoyable. The feel is on the lighter side, but damn near perfect. No hint of booziness anywhere throughout, and as easy to drink as anything you 've had.

Overall, very freakin' good. I can't help but compare this to Rochefort 8, which is my favorite Belgian beer ever. This is close, but not quite as good. Still an incredible beer.

Best before 12.12.14. Drank 10.18.14. Poured from a cork and caged bomber into a 12oz Tulip after having warmed up for 15min or so.

A: Pours a dark rose brown, murky, like muddy lake water. One finger of tan head which crackles and fizzles away immediately. I can't say it is the most visually appealing beer in the world, but it has a certain amount of intrigue to it.

S: Oh baby, there it is, there is that Unibroue mastery. Dark fruits up front...raisin, plum, ripe pear, and cherry. If it stopped there that would be satisfying enough, but there is a walloping load of rum and dark chocolate lurking with a smattering of mellow winter spices and sweet malt. The aroma is out of this world, painstakingly complex, but in no way overwhelming.

T: Sweet, almost wine like in its layering and finish. Dark fruit once again, predominately raisin, plum, and fig. Malty, yeasty, with hearty winter spicing. So many strong flavors that the alcohol is nowhere worth giving a damn.

M: Dry and highly carbonated. Similar to a red wine that bounces along the tongue. Chewy, with a smooth, spiced finish. Lingering alcohol warmth, like wrapping up in one of grandma's quilts on a cold fall morning.

O: This beer is a spectacle. It has everything you could want out of the style, and then just shows off for good measure. Quite possibly the pinnacle of Unibroue.

Pours a murky brown and mahogany color with a dense and gloriously tall bubbly and foamy head. It retains well and leaves nice semi sticky lace patterns.
In the nose it consists of dark bread, a slight touch of cocoa, dark fruit such as prune, fig and dark grape, slight bubblegum, and finally, a generous helping of spices; cinnamon and clove are prominent. A nice bouquet of complexity.
The taste and feel are a heavenly treat. Creamy, velvety and smooth. Medium to full but so fluffy and drinkable at the same time. Great complexity of flavor. Dark fruits, especially musty grape, provide a wine like texture. Their is a subtle coating of cocoa or dark malt creaminess, which is felt in the finish. The spices, particularly clove, are also felt in the finish. Mid palate, the brew becomes increasingly peppery. There is even the tiniest splash of hops that adds the most minimal bitterness possible. Oh yeah...I forgot...this has 9% ABV??!! I could not tell..it is that well masked.
This one is delightful. Perhaps my favorite from Unibroue thus far.

Yeasty brick red with a generous amount of dark bronze (center) and ripe orange (edges). Unfortunately, the head doesn't look anywhere near as good as the beer itself. Ecru in color, it has that somewhat harsh, unsticky texture that neither looks good nor deposits much lace. Or, in this case, any lace.

The nose is enjoyable, but it isn't strong enough or complex enough for this strong, complex style. It's primarily dark fruity, on the order of unsweet dates and dried figs (not dark enough for raisins and not light enough for apples and pears). There's also a moderate amount of an indeterminate, musky spice.

Trois Pistoles is good beer that doesn't blow me away. I'm still waiting for the Unibroue beer that will blow me away. Like most of their offerings, this one is on the lighter side of the style spectrum. Light is appropriate for a witbier or a hefe weizen, but I think BSDAs should be big, bold, spicy, and semi-chewy. That isn't to say that the beer isn't enjoyable, just that it doesn't fit my favored profile for the style.

Sweet and bitter fight to a draw, with spicy fruit maintaining center stage throughout. It isn't as spicy as say... oh, your average Belgian BSDA, but it's no shrinking violet either. The fruit comparison isn't obvious in beer that's this unsweet, but it's there. Dark caramel and even carob notes are present as well.

The mouthfeel is enjoyable if you like light and airy BSDAs rather than full ones. Although the carbonation is finely fizzy when beer first meets tongue, it fades quickly. Again, not my idea of perfection, but someone has to hold down the left edge of the bell curve.

I had high hopes for Unibroue Trois Pistoles. Why, exactly, I have no idea, since nothing that this brewery has yet released (that I've tasted) has lived up to the hype. I've found that the higher alcohol brews (Maudite, La Fin Du Monde, Don De Dieu) have been more to my liking than their lower alcohol counterparts. That said, they still can't hold a candle to the Belgian originals. This is good beer, but it isn't even close to special.

Pours a nice medium brown with a medium sticky head,aroma is sweet and spicey with some alcohol notes.The taste is sweet and and malty with some real nice spicey notes,very clovey and sweet very appetizing.The alchol really comes thru as it warms,a real true belgian stule ale,very appetizing.

Smell: Malty and sweet. A raisiny nose with sweet citrus hints. Lots of over-ripened fruits and a port-like pinch.

Taste: Raosted maltiness with an underlying burnt-sugar sweetness. A chewy, raisin and plum-like quality accompanied with a spicey body. Lingering sweetness on the tongue with hints of port and wooden cask.

Mouthfeel: Very lively and bursting with bubbly falvour. A sweet, cloying finish.

Drinkablility: A nice beer but not somethig i would have everyday. To me this is a sweeter, less spicey version of Maudite.

Floral. This beer is very flowery. Jasmine, Coriander, and Asparagus? This is very interesting. The bouquet is just grand. Taste is mixed berries with a sweet front that gives way to complex tart oak notes. Jasmine wraps the toungue half way through each sip and gives way to a dry asparagus. The color is a brilliant deep brown with amber hues. The head is fairly thin but lasting. Lacing is decent. Carbonation is exceptionally aggressive. Texture is meaty like a rib eye. Drinkability is flawless. This is a dangerous fellow to dabble with. My taste buds wish to consume far more than my kidneys could bare. Well done.

LOOK (4/5) Pours a very dark, almost black mahogany brown - when held to the light, it shows itself to be almost 33*SRM. It's very opaque for the style. Two and a half fingers of off-white, mousy head is given off the pour. This lasts a long time, but fell with little lacing. Some nice carbonation was seen.

SMELL (4.5/5) The smell is dominated by yeast-aromatics with a lot of malt, but it has a drier finish to it. Melanoidin character is not as strong as others of this style and I get a bit more roasty or chocolate notes. Yeast aromatics are strong and they have a character that is hard to describe, but which is typical in Unibroue products. It has some of the following notes: spices (peepper, not clove); a hint of banana; a hint of grape; and a bit of bubblegum. In any event it sets of the melanoidins well. A bit of alcohol warmth.

TASTE (4.5/5) Similar to the smell. The maillard flavors are a bit stronger on the palate and it works well with the yeast. As for the yeast, the pepper is a bit stronger in the flavor than in the nose and this helps make a drier finish (maybe a hint of harder water?). Some alcoholic warmth on the finish.

FEEL (3.5/5) This was the only part that I had a problem with. The feel was a bit too light on both the body and carbonation fronts. A bit of a more substantial body might have worked well with the flavors.

DRINK (4/5) The lighter body makes this a bit more drinkable, though. I like the flavors so much, but they're a bit too dark for a good session. Really tasty, though!